This invention relates generally to swim fins and, more particularly, to a water-buoyant swim fin which is suitable for use in propelling a swimmer through the water.
The sport of swimming serves as an increasingly popular form of both recreation and exercise, attracting persons of diverging levels of physical ability. Despite their interest, many of these swimmers never receive formal swimming instruction and, consequently, never develop proper swimming technique. Even swimmers who have had training may fail to use proper technique, being unable to achieve a proper body position due to a lack of physical strength or flexibility. Consequently, it is not uncommon to find a swimmer using improper swimming technique.
When using proper technique, a swimmer's body should approach a plane parallel to the surface of the water. The higher the swimmer's body planes in the water, the faster the swimmer is able to go. When the swimmer's body is in an improper position, however, it provides increased water resistance, slowing the swimmer's forward progress. An improper body position is often the result of fatigue, swimmers tending to drag the rearward portion of their bodies through the water when they are tired. As a result, swimmers' arms may enter the water at an unnatural angle, increasing the risk of injury to the swimmer's shoulders. By using a proper technique, swimmers are able to achieve proper body position, resulting in maximum forward progress without undo risk of shoulder injury.
One method of achieving proper body position involves flutter kicking by the swimmer, the upward force provided by such a kick tending to raise the swimmer's body to a near parallel plane with the surface of the water. To aid in this endeavor, various swim fin designs have been made commercially available, such fins having generally been designed to increase the force exerted by each downward thrust of the swimmer's leg. These fins, however, do nothing to compensate for fatigue or for a lack of physical conditioning, either of which may lead to dragging of the swimmer's feet. Many of these swim fins actually interfere with the swimmer's ability to flutter kick, fin size making it difficult to kick without collision of the fins.
Conventional swim fins, as described above, are typically formed from a molded rubber material, providing swimmers with heavy, non-water-buoyant fins. Such fins may add to swimmer fatigue, the weight of the fins increasing the drag on a swimmer's feet and, consequently, slowing the swimmer's progress Non-water-buoyant fins may also be difficult to retrieve should a fin become dislodged from the swimmer's foot. In such a situation, the fin would sink to the bottom, making it difficult, if not impossible, to reach.
Another problem with presently available swim fins concerns the use of such fins on land. When leaving the water, a swimmer may desire to walk about without removing the fins, the swimmer intending for the fins to provide protection against hazards such as sharp objects or hot sand. Presently available fins, however, provide only partial protection, leaving large sections of a swimmer's foot uncovered or protected only by a thin layer of material. Due to their cumbersome designs, such fins may also prove to be completely unsuitable for use out of the water, it being difficult to walk about while wearing the fins.
Yet another problem with conventional swim fins involves the difficulty with which such fins are applied to the user's foot. Most of such fins are applied by sliding the foot forwardly into a cavity defined by the swim fin. The fin is then secured to the foot by a strap, commonly extending around the swimmer's heel. To ensure a tight fit, it may be necessary to slide the user's foot into a tight-fitting fin such an operation tending to pull the user's skin, resulting in discomfort of the swimmer.
In view of the above-described problems, it is an object of this invention to provide a swim fin which, when worn on a swimmer's foot, promotes proper swimming technique.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a swim fin which is water-buoyant, use of the fin tending to reduce the effect of fatigue on a swimmer.
It is another object of this invention to provide a fin which may be comfortably worn on land to protect a swimmer's foot against hazard.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a fin which may be comfortably applied to a swimmer's foot.
The above-described objects as well as other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent as the description that follows is read in conjunction with the drawings.